What is Sensitivity?

Sensitivity describes how deeply we take in and respond to the world around us.

It is a basic human trait.

Everyone is sensitive to some extent, but some people are more sensitive than others. Research shows that highly sensitive individuals are more strongly influenced by what happens around them. This can mean greater vulnerability in stressful environments, and greater ability to thrive in supportive ones.

Around one in three people are more sensitive than average.

Understanding Sensitivity

Environmental Sensitivity is the scientific framework that explains why some people respond more strongly to their surroundings than others. It brings together decades of research on how the brain and body process information, emotions, and experiences.

Sensitivity is partly inherited and partly shaped by life experiences. It begins before birth and continues throughout development.

It is not a disorder.
It is a common and measurable trait.

While sensitivity can overlap with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism or ADHD, it is distinct. A person can be sensitive and autistic, sensitive and have ADHD, or highly sensitive without either.

Man holding a sleeping newborn baby wrapped in a blanket, sitting in a hospital room.

Sensitivity Across Development

Differences in sensitivity can be seen early in life. Sensitive children might:

  • react more strongly to new situations

  • become overwhelmed in busy environments

  • take longer to settle or adjust

With understanding and supportive environments, sensitive children flourish and show their strengths more clearly.

A young boy in a layered sweater holds a yellow autumn leaf in front of his face in a wooded forest.

The Sensitivity Spectrum

Everyone sits somewhere on a sensitivity spectrum:

  • high sensitivity (around 30 percent of the population) often called Orchids

  • medium sensitivity (around 40 percent of the population) often called Tulips

  • low sensitivity (around 30 percent of the population) often called Dandelions

These are broad population patterns, not fixed categories. Everyone falls somewhere along the spectrum, and each level of sensitivity comes with its own strengths.

A person wearing a blue hoodie walking along a grassy hillside with tall, reddish-brown grass. The sky is partly cloudy with mountains in the distance.

Strengths of High Sensitivity

Sensitive individuals often show:

  • empathy and emotional insight

  • creativity and deep thinking

  • strong attention to detail

  • rich appreciation of beauty and meaning

They thrive in environments that value care, nuance, and connection.

Challenges of High Sensitivity

In busy or stressful settings, sensitive individuals may:

  • become overstimulated or overwhelmed

  • feel stress more intensely

  • be more affected by conflict or unpredictability

  • be at greater risk for anxiety or low mood when facing difficult or unsupportive environments 

These are natural responses, not weaknesses. With the right support, sensitive people can thrive and reach their true potential.

Measuring Sensitivity

Sensitivity can be explored through validated questionnaires for adults and children, or through professional assessments for those who want deeper guidance.

Take the Sensitivity Test